GUYANA | US Government asked to take action against Ali/Jagdeo administration for police atrocities and racial abuse

GEORGETOWN,  Guyana, November 22, 2022 - A number of Civil Society organizations in Guyana have written to US Vice President Kamala Harris, saying they are “appalled by the many ills perpetuated against the citizens of our country, horrendously engineered and fueled by the Ali/Jagdeo PPP Government.”

“We the undersigned organizations and individuals are gravely concerned about the escalating social, racial, economic, and political injustices leveled at African Guyanese and others who do not support the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime of Guyana.”

The letter signed by Opposition Leader  Aubrey Norton, several members of parliament as well as the Mayor of Georgetown and a number of civil society organization leaders,declared the Jagdeo/Ali PPP administration to be a racist regime, and called for international intervention.

“The rights of citizens and the rule of law are under siege in Guyana and it must be noted that these threats are vile in nature and pose a danger, not only to Mr. Burke, but to humanity everywhere. Happily, Guyana’s oil and gas wealth has placed the country among the world's fastest-growing economies which have attracted multinationals and transnational corporations the likes of Exxon Mobil and Hess, among others.  Sadly, the vile acts of discrimination adopted by the government have shut out a large portion of the citizens from enjoying the benefits of the nation's oil wealth and national patrimony,” the letter said.

“The PPP government has unashamedly ‘graduated’ from attacking Guyanese in the Diaspora to attacking elected officials in New York. On October 30, 2022, twenty-one Guyanese organizations held a Guyanese Diaspora Town Hall Meeting where several elected (USA) government and law enforcement officials, discussed transnational repressive crimes against Guyanese in the USA, orchestrated by the PPP government.” 

"The meeting was addressed by New York State Attorney General, Letitia James and U.S Representative, Hakeem Jeffries. Both officials emphasized that the United States will not tolerate racism in Guyana or any other country. They also called for an investigation of the myriad of complaints of racism, racial discrimination, governmental abuse and police atrocities which have been alleged by a vast majority of Guyanese

"Consequently, Minister of Governance, Gail Teixeira, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Attorney General, Anil Nandall, launched vicious attacks against the organizers, as well as the Attorney General, Letitia James and U.S Representative, Hakeem Jeffries. Their reckless attacks reflect the conduct of despotic regimes that abhor accountability.

"Arising from the letter, the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) called on the the United States Government and international community to force what it has described as “the apartheid PPP regime in Guyana” into compliance with international democratic norms or out of office. 

The following is the full  text of the letter to the US Vice President: